Srinagar: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Monday criticised the granting of bail to an Army captain convicted by a general court-martial for his role in the 2020 Amshipora fake encounter case.
“I want to appeal to the Centre not to play with the people here. Do not make the people here think that our blood is so cheap that a person found guilty of murder is enlarged on bail so easily,” Abdullah told reporters in reply to a query on the issue.
The armed forces tribunal in Delhi has suspended the life sentence of Captain Bhoopendra Singh who was found guilty of killing three men in a “staged” encounter in south Kashmir’s Amshipora village in July 2020.
The tribunal also granted conditional bail to him and directed him to appear before its principal registrar on the first Monday of every month starting from January next year
“Those arrested on minor charges do not get bail for years. On the other hand, an army officer who was, not by a civilian court but by army court-martial, convicted on murder charges, in a fake encounter… got bail,” the former chief minister told reporters at Kulgam.
On the “delay” in holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said he was hopeful that the Supreme Court will decide on the polls as well when the apex court gives the verdict on the Article 370 petitions.
“We are hopeful that the Supreme Court judgement on Article 370 petitions would also make a mention of the elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
“When the Panthers Party moved an application in the Supreme Court for holding elections, the Chief Justice at that time had said that this issue is connected with Article 370 and would be decided at that time,” he added.
Abdullah expressed concern over the electricity supply situation in Kashmir, claiming the power cuts being faced by the people were unprecedented.
“We are getting cheated in the name of elections, in the name of ending unemployment, in the name of development and in the name of electricity. What is the reason that the electricity system cannot be set right?
“The situation was not this bad during our tenure. Today, they say they have ample funds. Why don’t they make arrangements for electricity then? Why are people facing up to 12 hours of power cuts?” he asked.
